Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders最新文献

The World Health Organization's (WHO) integrated approach to primary care differs from the traditional patient-centered approach to primary care, resulting in a gap that needs to be addressed. Recently, the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) model has emerged as an alternative research approach to the traditional model, and has gained considerable attention in the field of autism research.The aim of this scoping review was to explore the pattern and effectiveness of CBPR in the ASD population. The findings suggest that CBPR is a promising and effective research model for skills enhancement and healthcare for autistic people. This review highlights the importance of using the CBPR model in ASD research which can help researchers build multi-partnerships with communities and other stakeholders to facilitate the design and implementation of health promotion programs.

Background and Aims

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represent two of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions, with prevalence rates of 5–7% and 0.6–1%, respectively. Despite their conceptually distinct phenotypes, ADHD and ASD are highly comorbid. This review is aimed at examining and synthesising the prevalence and profile of ASD-like symptoms in individuals with a primary diagnosis of ADHD across the lifespan in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; APA, 2013) diagnostic criteria.

Methods

This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, as discussed by (Moher et al. in PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097, 2009; Page et al. in Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 89, 2021). Studies were identified through a systematic literature search of the databases: PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Scopus (N = 12,633). Articles were critically appraised according to established quality methodology criteria, and findings were summarised using narrative synthesis.

Results and Conclusion

A total of nine studies (ADHD individuals n = 548) were identified and included in the review. Of these studies, three were classified as having ‘good’ methodological quality, five as ‘fair’, and one as ‘poor’. These studies varied considerably in their methodological approach and assessment procedures. Overall, higher levels of ASD symptoms were found in individuals with ADHD compared to the general population. There was considerable variation in the reported prevalence of clinically significant ASD symptoms in individuals with ADHD, ranging from 15 to 64.3%. Clinical implications and considerations for further research are discussed.

Abstract

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an evidence-based intervention used to improve communication for people on the autism spectrum. Little is known, however, about the extent to which PECS is currently used with Chinese-speaking persons. Our systematic review identified 13 single-case design studies reporting on PECS interventions with a total of 22 participants. The results indicated that PECS increased non-vocal communication behavior for 19 participants, increased speech for six participants, and decreased problem behavior for five participants. Five studies reported social validity, three studies programmed for generalization, and nine studies reported maintenance effects. According to Reichow’s (2011) evaluation standards, thirteen studies met only weak criteria indicating that they did not provide good evidence for the effectiveness of PECS in Chinese-speaking persons on the autism spectrum. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

This review examines methods used to report on the QoL and/or well-being of autistic people. A search of four databases (June 2023) identified 256 studies that reported on the Qol and/or well-being of at least one autistic person. The quality of studies varied. Results were synthesised on who reported, who was reported on, how information was obtained including accommodations and community involvement. One-third used proxy informants, over 80% used generic measures of QoL and/or well-being, autistic people with intellectual impairment and communication disorders were underrepresented, one quarter included accommodations, and few studies included community involvement. Despite the growing research on QoL and well-being of autistic people, more accessible and inclusive research is required to understand autistic people’s experience.

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are a class of supports that may lend themselves to a parent-mediated approach. This systematic literature review synthesizes single-case research evaluations of parent-mediated NDBIs for young autistic children. Of the 353 articles screened, 17 were eligible for inclusion. Child outcome measures included engagement, joint attention, language/communication, imitation, and ‘compliance’/avoidance. Most studies found positive effects for at least some children on at least one measure. However, there were no consistently positive effects across studies. Most parents increased their NDBI fidelity, but many did not reach specified fidelity criteria. Only three studies met all Council of Exceptional Children quality indicators. These results suggest that parent-mediated NDBIs are a promising approach to supporting young autistic children, but more high-quality research is needed.

This review aimed to (a) identify gaze metrics and behavioral assessments used in eye-tracking studies investigating social communication skills of young autistic children and (b) examine the reported correlation between gaze behaviors and social communication skills. We conducted a systematic search process following the PRISMA statement. A total of 19 studies were included in this review. Collectively, six gaze metrics were quantified to describe gaze behaviors, and 10 behavioral assessments of social communication skills or autism characteristics were identified, which were subsequently analyzed by respective stimulus categories. The overall findings from studies that employed semi-naturalistic stimuli suggested that increased social attention, as well as fixating closer to fixation of neurotypical children, is related to better social communication skills of young autistic children. In addition, the overall findings from studies that employed non-semi-naturalistic or live-interaction stimuli suggested that more engagement in gaze movements between shared interests is related to better social communication skills of young autistic children. Findings have implications for early identification and intervention in autism and highlight the need for further research examining factors that may have contributed to some mixed findings on the relation between gaze behaviors and social communication skills.

According to the principle of neuroplasticity, early repeated and intense exposure to stimuli can lead to changes in brain structure. In line with this view, it has been argued that early interventions for autistic children could have an impact on their neural development. In the present systematic review, we synthesised the available evidence on neural outcomes after early behavioural, developmental and naturalistic developmental behavioural interventions in young autistic children or children at elevated likelihood of autism. Six out of seven selected studies observed post-intervention differences in neural activity and connectivity. However, we observed significant methodological variation and limitations across studies (e.g. small sample sizes). Here, we discuss the field-wide need to address these issues.

Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is typically performed using traditional tools based on behavioral observations. However, these diagnosis methods are time-consuming and can be misleading. Integrating machine learning algorithms with technological screening tools within the typical behavioral observations can possibly enhance the traditional assessment and diagnostic process. In the last two decades, to improve the accuracy and reliability of autism detection, many clinicians and researchers began to develop new screening methods by means of advanced technology like machine learning (ML). These methods include artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), a priori algorithms, and decision trees (DT). Mostly, these methods have been applied to pre-existing datasets, derived from the standard diagnostic and assessment tools, to implement and test predictive models. On the other hand, the detection of new objective behavioral measures such as biomarkers could lead to a significant strengthening of existing screening tools. In the present study, we carried out a critical review of the literature about the latest findings in this field. The aim was to shed light about the effectiveness of using ML systems for motion analysis to enhance both clinical assessment and diagnostic processes. Specifically, we discussed the contribution of ML systems in promoting early diagnosis of ASD. The literature review showed that motion patterns ML analysis predicts ASD classification as accurately as that of classical gold standard tools. However, the application of these methods is still challenging, as discussed in this review.

Globally, there is an increasing focus on interventions that are culturally relevant for children and families from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. We conducted a scoping review to evaluate what populations have been included in the caregiver research related to established naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also evaluated the extent to which these interventions have developed or adapted to be culturally relevant for use with caregivers of children with ASD using the Cultural Adaptation Checklist. Seventy studies met the inclusion criteria. Our review noted a paucity of research with diverse populations, and lack of description related to cultural adaptations of these interventions. Descriptions related to cultural adaptations tended to focus the least on persons, goals, and methods. Clinicians and researchers are encouraged to engage in cultural adaptations of interventions in consultations with communities in order to enhance interventions for culturally diverse groups.

Abstract

In the past decade, interdisciplinary research has revealed the potential benefits of using social robots in the care of individuals with autism. There is a growing interest in integrating social robots into clinical practice. However, while significant efforts have been made to develop and test the technical aspects, clinical validation and implementation lag behind. This article presents a systematic literature review from a clinical perspective, focusing on articles that demonstrate clinical relevance through experimental studies. These studies are analysed and critically discussed in terms of their integration into healthcare and care practices. The goal is to assist healthcare professionals in identifying opportunities and limitations in their practice and to promote further interdisciplinary cooperation.